Plant-Mediated Iron Nanoparticles and their Applications as Adsorbents for Water Treatment–A Review

Plant-mediated synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles has been increasingly drawing attention due to its eco-friendly nature and cost effectiveness. The biosynthesis technique engages plant secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, proteins, carbohydrates, glycosides, quinine, steroids, and tannins as reducers and/or stabilizers in the process of forming nanoparticles thereby replacing hazardous chemicals known with physical and chemical methods of nanomaterial synthesis. Biosynthesis method of nano particles has helped to a great extent to overcome some drawbacks, such as high energy and space requirement as well as high cost and hazard associated with various known physical and chemical methods. This work reviewed the biosynthesis of plant mediated iron oxide nanoparticles and their applications in water and wastewater treatment. Much work has been done to explore the effective, safe and cheap method for the dye removal in recent years. However, in future, more methods need to be explored to study and check the removal of dyes from wastewater using plant-mediated iron oxide nanoparticles for safer, cheaper and more efficient performance.